Friday, April 21, 2006

Thacker Mountain

Hey y'all

Yesterday, I was in Oxford to play their Thacker Mountain radio show. It is recorded in the Off Square Books, which is, off the square, but not by much! Thacker Mountain had litereary readings form authors and musical guests in between, I was excited to be back on the show, which I have been lucky enough to do every season.

Strangley, and I don't know why, but when ever a tape recorder is involved I get butterflies and worms. You know, live is one thing, casue once it's out there and out of your mouth... it just flies away and dissipates like a bubble once it pops. But when you got a tape recorder rolling...well...it's on tape!! So then you go back and listen to all the warts of the performance and that, my friends, is where my hangup is. Jim Dees ( the host) said that we're always our worst critic and that it's terribly difficlut to go back. Frankly, I probably won't for my own sanity. I know it sounded great as many people told me so, so thank God for that!! But still, as I stood up there singing and playing a couple songs by myself to a quiet room, I had to use every Jedi mind trick in the book that I knew to calm my nerves down. "You were nervous?" Jim said incredulously. "You do this all the time! Well, I couldn't tell a thing!" So I guess, my Jedi mind tricks worked yet again! (these are not the nerves you're looking for...)

Anyhow, the highlight for sure was our rockin' rendition of Memphis Minnie's "What's the Matter with the Mill" which I dueted with Duff Dourrogh. Jim Dickinson also got on the piano and yelled "done broke down" in between verses and I could tell the audience was lovin' it. Nothing like a dirty blues song to get blood flow up! uh, no pun intended there.

for your reading pleasure I am going to post the lyrics, This is the version we did on my record:

WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH THE MILL? by Memphis Minnie

J: Say Miss OO: What you say Jimbo?J: Where are you going?O: I’m going to the mill to have my corn groundJ: Aww, that mill’s broke downO: How do you know?J: I went to get my corn groundO: What’s the matter with the mill?J: It done broke down

O : Can’t get no grinding, tell me what’s the matter with the mill

Well, I had a little corn, I put it in a sack Brought it to the mill and come right back What's the matter with the mill? (It done broke down) What's the matter with the mill? (It done broke down) I can't get no grinding Tell me what's the matter with the mill

Well, people keep a talking all over town Tell me that the mill had done broke down What’s the matter with the mill…

(spoken: Ahw, grind it)

Now listen here folks, I don't want no stuff You can't bring me my meal, bring me the husks1 What's the matter with the mill…

Well, my papa sat and cried, my brother did, too They both been to the mill, they can't get nothing to do What's the matter with the mill…

Now listen here folks, I want you to bear this in mind If you're going to the mill, you're just losing time What's the matter with the mill…

Friday, April 07, 2006

Radioio.com

Hey Y'all

I'd like to let you know about a free internet radio station that is playing both mine and Jimbo's music quite a bit. It's called radioio.com and you can tune in on your computer at work or home or wherever y'at.

Sunday, April 02, 2006

reConstruction

I've been in New Orleans again this past week, mostly just supervising repairs/construciton on my mom's house. There are workers crawling around in every nook and cranny of this three story home and popping out of doors and stairwells. There is nowhere to hide! Things are going smoothy enough but it seems like everything just takes so much longer to do...

It's been a little depressing as the city is still mostly vacant and dogged out in most of the neighborhoods. It's something especially notcieable at night, cause there are very few lights if any at all, and the waterlogged buildings and homes just look like empty discarded shells of what once housed someone's home or business. It's pretty creepy.

Jazzfest is around the corner and I have no idea who all is planning to come or how it's going to be. On the one hand I am glad to keep things somewhat normal, but on the other, it will be the most abnormal experience for tourists and visitors--heck, everyone really. I am glad that people will be coming and witnessing first hand what a freaking mess it is because it will keep the situation in the forefront of people's minds when they leave to go back home. But at the same time, where are people going to stay? What are they going to do? Most places close at night, there is no street car, no city park, not a whole lot to pick from and do...

See, Mardi Gras is mostly on one street (St. Charles) or in the Quarter. Jazzfest is all over the city...but the city is not there, just one small part of it.